


you better stop the things you do

by Aenaria, Merideath



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Banter, Darcy/Steve Month, F/M, Fluff, Halloween, Magic, Virgin Steve, hocus pocus au, if you've seen hocus pocus you know why that last tag is there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2015-10-08
Packaged: 2018-04-25 10:52:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4957540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aenaria/pseuds/Aenaria, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merideath/pseuds/Merideath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Triple dog dare you to light the candle."</p>
<p>"Uh oh," Darcy says. Gaze darting between Bucky and Steve. </p>
<p>Steve's never been known to back down from a triple-dog dare. At least not in the year they've been hanging around. Not that Darcy had that many stones to throw, most of them she'd already thrown, mostly at James' head.</p>
            </blockquote>





	you better stop the things you do

**Author's Note:**

> Because there is a troll on tumblr that's mostly harmless, unless plotbunnies and crack aus are involved. Let's just say there was a prompt for a Hocus Pocus AU that I had to make a graphic for, and once I did it needed words so Aenaria and I tossed some around. There is always room for more. Now if only Netflix UK had Hocus Pocus so I could happily sit and watch it. - Meri
> 
> While there may possibly be a harmless troll at fault for this one, I'm still blaming Meri. She made the graphic that kicked it off, the words couldn't help themselves. - Aenaria

"I like your costume, Darcy," Rebecca says while Steve and Bucky mess about with the door to the old house. They’re not supposed to be in there, but it’s Halloween. What night would be better for breaking a few rules? 

"Thanks, Lil Bit," Darcy beams. The costume is a hand me down green velvet dress from Darcy's cousin, who spent a summer before college working at the Renaissance Fair. It itched a little and the bodice was kinda tight, but Darcy felt like a princess, or rather an evil queen to go with the plastic crown perched on top of her head. "Maybe you can be a princess in a dress this next year."

"Nah, I don't have the yabbos for a dress like that," Rebecca says, blindly digging through her candy sack. "Did you know that Steve really likes your yabbos."

"Becca," Steve hisses, looking back and giving her a glare that could strip paint off a car. 

Bucky bursts out laughing. "S'true," he gasps, pushing open the warped door.

"Eff off, Buck," Steve snarls. He rubs at the back of his neck, but it doesn't stop the blush rising up from his throat. 

"Oh come off it, Steve. It's not like the kid's lyin'."

"Come on let's get this over with," Steve says. his shoulders are tense and he tries not to let his eye slide back to Darcy.  
....

"Dare you to light the candle," Bucky says. His grin is downright sinister as he peels back the wrapper on a bite size Snickers and tosses the bar into his mouth.

"This is stupid," Steve huffs. 

"Chicken shit says what?" 

"Guys, stop being idiots," Darcy says. She's fiddling with a bobby pin, twisting it in the latch of the locked display cabinet. "Do you think this thing is real? Like really real?"

"Nah. It's all a bunch of hocus pocus," Steve says, fiddling with the lighter in his hands.

"Still it's gotta be worth something on eBay, right?" Darcy asks. The only one paying any attention is Bucky's little sister Rebecca, in between stuffing her face with the candy Bucky and Steve deemed 'not too dangerous for a second grader'. 

"Man, you ain't got the balls to light that thing, virgin."

"It's not gonna light, it's been here since forever."

"Just do it, Steve." 

"God, will you both just shut up!"

"Besides, virginity is just a social construct. It only means something if you want it to," Steve mutters under his breath. His hands are a little sweaty and he rubs them over his jeans, fighting not to curl his fingers into fists. 

"Keep telling yourself that, jerk."

"Shut up, Bucky."

"Triple dog dare you to light the candle."

This causes Darcy to freeze in her lock-picking venture and look up at the boys, wide-eyed. "Uh oh," she says. 

Steve's never been known to back down from a triple-dog dare. At least not in the year they've been hanging around. Not that Darcy had that many stones to throw, most of them she'd already thrown, mostly at James' head.

"Fine. I'll light your stupid candle." Steve stomps over to the old stand, cracked and weathered with age. The white wax has since faded to a vaguely disturbing cream-yellow color, like custard that's gone slightly off. There are any number of etchings on the outside of the candle, in a dusty red color that looks alarmingly like dried blood. It’s enough to make Steve pause to study the candle as he flicks the lighter in his hand on and off.

"Try not to burn the whole place down," Darcy says. She wiggles the pin and the lock clicks. "Oh my god, I did it!"

"Steve wishes," Bucky says. 

Steve ignores the two behind him and wipes thick dust off of the top of the candle, exposing the wick to the air for the first time in what might be centuries.

"Hurry up, Stevie, we haven't got all night," Bucky says. 

"What, worried you're gonna miss out on that redhead from the Catholic School turning you down again?" Steve snaps back.

"Shut up," Bucky hisses, cheeks turning red. 

"Make me," Steve says flicking his thumb over the lighter. Bucky might be a year older than him and Darcy but Steve's known him practically since birth. They both knew enough dirt on each other to bury the school bus.

"The maturity level in this room right now is astounding," Darcy says, rolling her eyes. "Steve, the sooner it's lit and the sooner Bucky sees nothing happened, we can move on and actually do something fun with our Halloween. Something with more chocolate."

"Don't tempt him, you might break his poor, virgin brain."

"Shut up, Bucky!"

Steve flicks the lighter on, holding it to the wick. It takes a moment to catch, and the candle splutters to life. The dancing flame is black, a trail of noxious smoke rising from it. Darcy recoils at the scent, scrambling to her feet to try and get away from it, book forgotten. But there's something entrancing about the black flame, and she leans forward to get a better look. 

"Becca," Bucky says grabbing his sister by the arm and dragging her behind his back. 

"You dork, it's just a candle. Hey, did you guys know they used to make them out of cows?"

A chill wind sweeps through the old house, maybe from a cracked window open in another room, or maybe from somewhere else. It causes the black flame to flare brightly, shooting upwards with enough force to make Steve and Darcy both jump back a step. 

The black flame sputters out, leaving behind one winking ember that fizzles dead with a last, forlorn curl of smoke. 

"Letdown," Darcy says, with a wavering laugh. She dusts cobwebs, both imaginary and real, from her dress, and takes a step back to the opened case with the Sanderson's grimoire inside. The floor trembles beneath their feet, and a sickly green light seeps out between the floorboards. As quickly as the light fills the room it disappears with an audible pop. "The hell?"

"A virgin lit the candle," Rebecca whispers. 

The stacked wood beneath the cauldron bursts into flame, the sudden crackling loud in the quiet room. One by one the candles scattered around the room illuminate.

"We should get the hell out of here," Bucky says. He shoves Becca towards the door. 

"Wait, I hear voices," Steve holds his arm out to block Darcy's path. 

"Great time to cop a feel, Steve," Bucky says.

"What," Steve stammers, jerking his hand away.

"Geez-"

"Oh, dearest sisters, we're home. My curse worked! Oh sweet, beautiful revenge," says a voice on the other side of the cottage door, freezing the four inside the house where they stand. But staying there wouldn’t be a good idea, would it, Steve thinks.

"Hide," Steve says, grabbing Darcy's hand. "Move." The steel in his voice gets Darcy's feet moving. 

The cottage door swings open as they duck behind the table. They kneel in the dust and leaves swirling in from the open door, hearts beating hard. Steve's hand is a little sweaty in hers, and his fingers are holding on tight enough to make her bones creak.

"But who lit the black flame candle?" another equally unnerving voice says, and Darcy leans into Steve’s side just a little bit more, hoping that whatever happens they’re not spotted.

"Mmm, I smell children, sisters!"


End file.
